The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-09-07

Scene in san Francisco factory-women
and Children Working for a Pittanee

of work, and it has revealed one of
the most variegated pictures of life.
The work is light. 1t NAV be done bv
a boy years old Ii requires but lit
tie acquired skill, and while the finc-
ers fly the tongue may gossip. II is
the height of the apricot season now.
and the work of the fruit-cutters is
simply to girdle this yellow and rosy
fruit with the sharp blade of a knife.
fling the stone out, and drop the two
fat cheeks of the apricot into A basket.
That is the task of the miscellaneous
crowd which now finds employment
in the canning factories.
OF course the fruit, when it passes
the preliminary stage, goes into the
hands of cooks and then into those of
Gamers, reputed TO be skillful. But
the first stage of the preparation is of
most interest because of the motley as
sortment of people who handle it,
And who is il that cuts the fruit?
No painter of the Stuttgart school
could adequately portray the old
clothes. the tired faces, the bright
eyes, the lines of care, the rosy cheeks,
altogether the extremes of sorrowful
old age and merry young people, all
with flying fingers, that engage in cut
ting fruit in a San Francisco canning
factory.
Let few of the characters be
roughly sketched and afterward let
them be asked how much they earn
and how they live.
There is one well-dressed Young
woman sitting at table with great
heap of apricots before her. Her hands
fly like machinery. Her cheeks are
rosy and plump, her bust is we'll
rounded, and her waist is Of healthful
size; her blonde hair is braided and
then coiled in knot She is evidently
n foreigner; her whole appearance in
dicates il. As she works like a rush
ing torrent she glanees over her
shoulder every instant to look after
little boy baby that can Just toddle
The little fellow has pile of sticks in
front of him on the floor, and is en-
gagged in building house The moth
er keeps a sharp eye on the little
chap, and when he gets on his feet and
steadies himself, and then p.unges off,
either in the direction of the door,
where the light streams in from the
street, or toward group of boys and
girls about heap of apricots, the
young mother skips from her perch
by the table, darts after the youngster,
and brings him back with vigorous
shake to his pile of sticks. The little
fellew pouts awhile, and soon again
is toddling away.
Take the group that the little fellow
made for. There are four or five in
it, one young colored girl dozen
years old. She seems as merry as a
lark. She grins aud her eyes dance,
but her hands keep flying all the time.
A few boys steal in from the street.
and she slips them few aprieots, but
the eagle eye of the boss sees the trans
action, and soon has the youngster by
the arm, leading him roughly out to
the street, and then comes back to
scold the daring girl, who grins more
than ever. Another of this group is
a young American girl, who has
reached the age when she gladly re-
ceiveS the attention of the boys She
is about ID or 16. She is got up to the
full limit of style that her purse will
allow. Her hair is banged and
crimped, and is arranged in the latest
style. In the back is coil with a
dainty little curl hanging from the
center. Her hands fly, too, but she
finds occasion to talk with the youth
who sits opposite her. He is making
love desperately, and don't get along
very rapidly shalving aprieots. He is
in the spooney state, when he looks
ridiculous. The others about the pile
of apricots, that are quickly diminish.
ing in bulk, are three or four young
pr1t. -h,sl l. 8 . A..
youth, while they slit open the apri'
cots amazingly fast.
Take one of the long benches, a
which twenty or thirty people are a
work. There is little boy perched
on high stool cutting apricots hk'
mad and making grimaces at the gin
opposite. Next is an old woman o
60, with sad face and a great 'ker
chief over her head, the ends brough
under her chin and tied there. TheI
there is fat, jolly Italian matroI
standing next, with her sleeves rolled
up and her knife whizzing around tn,
aprieots like a buzz saw. She is il
animated conversation, after the stylt
of her people, with her neighbors
Then there is tiny girl, busy with
her apricOts, and next to her an old
woman. and thus on to the end.
They are there from every tribe and
nation; they are of every color and
complexion; of all ages, sizes, weights
all bent ON work,
But let one young girl speak for her
self;
.I have three sisters and father.
81 work in the factory in summer
and go to school in the winter
Il begin at 1880 o'clock in the morn
ing and work till u. Then go out
and buy scent lunch and come bach
at 1890 o'clock and work till ).
Il can earn so cents day, or IS a
week.
81 give what earn to my father.
when work by the piece l get
cents basket.
Il can cut twelve to thirteen bask-
cts of apricots day.
81 walk home and to the factory.
Il am well treated in the factory.
II can stand up or sit down while
| work, just as | like.
Il am well enough satisfied"
The wages earned by the women,
girls, and boys range from SO to $2.5C
per week. according to the facility
that each possesses. The work is light,
requiring little acquired skill.
The canning factory is IA busy scene
when all the hands are at work. II
would DO difficult to see any where a
more motley group of people, chatter
ing in all languages, than is found
here.